


"Think of it as a holiday" they said

by Lily_Anna



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: And They Were Teammates, Domestic Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Max is bad at feelings, Mutual Pining, forced holidays, there's only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-01-13 10:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21242492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily_Anna/pseuds/Lily_Anna
Summary: A criminal organization has sent some threatening letters to the teams and the drivers. Christian fears for Max and Alex and sends them to a safe house in the middle of nowhere.What could happen if two young guys, who secretly find each other very attractive, are stuck together in a cottage?





	1. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real events and/or to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.  
Do not repost.

When Christian Horner became team principal for Red Bull Racing for sure he didn’t imagine having to handle something like this. Of course at the time he also didn’t expect to handle drivers that liked to behave like children or big fights between teammates but he managed both of them just fine. But this was something that never in a million years he would have thought to deal with.

Christian stared at the letters scattered around his desk and glanced at the clock: it was almost 11 in the evening but the letters, that at first seemed like some kind of sick joke quickly turned out to be a real danger. He sighed and unlocked his phone, before dialling Mattia, Toto and Andreas; praying that at least one of them would pick up his phone despite the odd hour.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” exclaimed Max after Christian stopped talking. “Language Max. And no I’m not kidding, this is a critical thing and I expect both of you to take it seriously”, “But- we are on a break! It’s not fair, I had plans!” whined the boy, earning a stern look from is boss.

“So just to see if I understood: there is some kind of terroristic organization that is targeting Formula 1 teams, they sent some threatening letters to you about ruining the team and threatening me and Max. Right?” slowly spoke Alex, that had been sitting in silence up to that moment. “Exactly Alex, apparently we are not the only team with the same problem: for now I’ve heard that also Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are going through the same but I’d not be surprised if the other teams are in our identical situation”, “What are we doing now? Have you already spoken to the police?”, “We are on it Alex, don’t worry yours and the team safety is our priority”.

Christian looked at both boys, who under the serious facade were clearly hiding anxiety and worry for themselves and their families. Sometimes Christian forgot that they were barely adults, thrown into the cruel world of motorsport.

“I arranged a plan to keep you safe but don’t worry it will take you only a few days of your winter break” said the Red Bull principal, stressing the last few words and looking at Max that was still pouting since the delivery of the scary news. “One of my friends has a cottage, that you’ll use as safe house, near the Snowdonia National Park. The village is pretty small and the people who live there are all old so I doubt you’ll be recognized. One of my friend’s relatives has gone grocery shopping for you and has already settled the house ready for a couple of days. I suggest you to pack some warm clothes because you’ll leave early this afternoon. Understood?”

“What about our families?” asked Alex. “I have already spoken with your parents and we all agreed that is better off this way. Your families will be safe in their homes but I’ll talk to the police to get some kind of protection outside Alex’s house and Max’s mom has already spoken to the Dutch police to get it all sorted” replied Christian with a reassuring tone.

“This situation is ridiculous” stated Max early that afternoon, standing next to his blue suitcase.

Christian pretended to not hear him and explained: “Just a few recommendations for you guys: don’t post anything on social media and turn off the GPS signal from your phone, answer only mine and Helmut calls, communicate with your family and go out of the house only if you really have to. And most importantly keep a low profile, the last thing we want is that somebody recognizes you and writes it on the internet with your location”, then he gestured to a black Honda Civic parked nearby. 

“Oh amazing… a fucking Honda Civic. C’mon we are Formula One drivers at least give us a better car! How fast does it go? 50 km/h so I can pick up the kids from school?” moaned Max, sending a disgusted look at the car. “I’ll drive then Max” replied Alex rolling his eyes, “No I’ll drive, back off. At least I won’t be bored to death”.

“It’s all settled then” said Christian handing him the car keys “and Max: for the love of God, behave and stop being bratty. I don’t know why you’re doing this but you’ll go to Wales anyway. Think of it as a holiday”.

The Dutchman mumbled something inaudible and walked to the car. “Bye Christian, keep us updated” “I’ll Alex, don’t worry. And keep an eye on Max please”.

The drive to the Snowdonia National Park was going to take 3 and a half hours according to the car's GPS, and just after 2 hours of the journey made in complete silence Alex thought he was becoming insane. 

“Can I turn on the radio? At least we can listen to some music” asked Alex breaking the heavy silence for the first time. “Do what you want” was Max’s curt answer. The Brit turned on the radio, which was playing “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears and he hummed the rhythm of the song under his breath. This only got Max pissed off: “At least can you listen to the radio in silence?”. Alex turned around to really look at this teammate for the first time during that journey and said “You are irritating me. What’s your problem? Do you think I like being in this situation?! My family is being threatened and the only thing you can think about is your holiday plans? Grow the fuck up Max, you are absolutely ridiculous”. 

It was in that moment that Alex noticed that Max’s hands were gripping the wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. The other boy didn’t reply, instead he pressed harder the gas pedal. Alex simply watched the odometer go higher: 80, 90, 110, 130. “Max.” spoke Alex, “Max! Do you want to crash?”. The silence was unbearable and Max obstinately kept looking at the road but at least they were going again at 80 km/h.

After half an hour finally Max quietly spoke: “I’m sorry. Look I- forget it, it doesn’t matter. I just need some time alone. I swear I’m not always like this”, “I know, I know. Let’s just arrive there and see how the house is, ok? I’ll cook dinner since I know you aren’t a good chef” replied Alex, earning a small smile from his teammate.

Finally the boys arrived at the cottage, which was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. “It’s a beautiful house, although I imagined it would have been bigger” observed Alex while Max, that was parking the car, mumbled in agreement.

The inside was pretty simple but elegant. On the ground floor there was the living room with a big sofa and two armchairs and opposite of it there was the kitchen. On the first floor there was a corridor with two doors: the one on the left was the bathroom, which had a huge bathtub as well as a shower, while the one on the right must have been the bedroom. Alex opened the door and stared at the sight. Max, who had finally joined him after sorting the suitcases, also stared at the bedroom.

“There is only one bed?” asked Alex, voice unsure. “Seems like it, yeah” replied Max sounding choked, adding “I think we’ll have to share then?”. “If you don’t want to sleep on the floor, yes. Besides it’s a king size bed, it’s big enough for both of us”; “Yeah yeah. I- I’m going to take my luggage upstairs then. Do you want me to carry upstairs yours too Alex?”, “Yes thanks” answered the Brit. He sighed: it was going to be a long couple of days.

By the time both boys were settled it was time for dinner and Alex started preparing, while he could hear Max walking around the living room. The Dutch finally sat down and he could hear the faint noise of the BBC News being broadcasted. After a while Max came into the kitchen and offered to help. “Look I’m almost finished but if you want you can set the table” replied the Brit, glad that his teammate’s behaviour had somehow improved during the evening. They ate mostly in silence, only the clattering of the silverware and some occasional comments about the food interrupting it. “I can wash the plates if you want? Since you cooked”, “Thats really kind of you, thanks”, “Don’t mention it. If you want to see a film I saw a stack of DVDs near the TV”.

At the end Alex chose a lighthearted comedy to try to relax and distract his mind from the usual overthinking, which only got worse after Christian delivered the daunting news. He was so engrossed by the film that he didn’t even notice Max standing by the doorway until he cleared his throat. “I’m really tired, I’m going to bed. Goodnight”,”Goodnight Max, I’ll keep the TV’s volume down but if it does disturb you let me know”.

It wasn’t even 11 in the evening but Alex already finished the film and was getting ready for bed, doing the least noise possible to not wake up Max. 

He sat down on the right side of the bed, glad that the other boy subconsciously choose the opposite side where Alex usually slept in.

“I’m sorry that today I behaved like a dick” whispered Max, causing Alex to make a high pitched squeak. “I thought you were asleep! You scared me”, “Yeah sorry. I don’t know- somehow I can’t sleep, even if I’m feeling really tired”. “It’s okay. Do you want to talk about what happened today?”, “Not really, but maybe talking with someone will make me feel better” replied the Dutchman.

Silence stretched out between them, the sound of their breaths and the wind blowing outside were the only audible things in the room.

“I don’t know if I can tell you though” murmured Max. “Why?” “Because you are my rival”. Alex let out a sigh: “I’m your teammate before being your rival. If you want to talk you can, I promise I won’t tell anyone”.

Max cleared his throat: “I behaved like that because I’m scared about this whole situation. And I’m afraid to even say it outloud. I mean in our world there isn’t the possibility to show weakness or you’ll be destroyed you know”, “Yes but today it was just me and Christian. He’s our team boss and cares about us, even if sometimes he doesn’t really show it. Don’t be afraid to speak in front of us”

Silence settled again in the room.

“Aren’t you scared for yourself? Or for your family?” asked Max after a while. “Of course I am. You know that I overthink everything but I trust Christian to solve this situation. I mean it’s not like we can do something about it-” Alex’s voice started to tremble.

“Alex?”, “Yes?”, “I’m sure our families are safe, you shouldn’t worry” said Max. Alex appreciated the gesture to calm him, even if Max probably didn't really believe in what he had just said since he was anxious about the whole situation too.

Alex turned on his side to face Max, his silhouette barely visible in the darkness of the room. He wanted to reach his hand, do something to reassure Max but he was scared that the other boy wouldn’t appreciate it. He turned on his back again, sight fixed on the ceiling. 

The Brit tried to sleep, he really did. But somehow all his relaxation techniques weren’t working. At some point Max must have fallen asleep because Alex could hear his ritmic and deep breaths filling the room. Suddenly the other boy shifted and came close, stretching his arms over the bed. 

Alex could feel the warmth of the other boy hand near his. He slid his hand a little bit to the right so the back of their hands could touch. 

Max didn’t wake up. And finally Alex fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic that isn't a one shot, I hope you like it!
> 
> English is not my first language so I apologise if there are any mistakes (especially any stucture mistakes on the sentences, let me know so I can correct them)
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos/comments, I really appreciate them <3


	2. Day 2

The next morning Alex was woken up by clattering noises. He turned around, finding the spot next to him empty. 

He made his way downstairs: “Max?” called Alex unsure. “I’m in the kitchen!” “What are you doing?”. “I made breakfast” explained the Dutch, as it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I can only see two cups of coffee. And some cookies” followed Alex, perplexed. Max explained blushing: “Yeah that’s the breakfast. I mean it’s not news that I’m terrible at cooking”, “I can see that” replied Alex amused “maybe this afternoon I can bake a cake or something for tomorrow. Since it’s off-season we can treat ourselves, don’t you think?”

The tension of the previous evening had lessened and the two teammates ate breakfast in silence, both wondering what they could do stuck inside that house. At the end, Alex decided to read a book from the bookshelf next to the armchair while Max had brought with him his weights and decided to work out a bit.

Alex was peacefully reading sitting in the armchair, which was probably the most comfortable he had ever sat in, when Max entered the living room. “I was thinking about working out upstairs but I don’t think there is enough space. Do you mind if I do that here?” “Of course not” replied the Brit, still absorbed from his reading. 

He could hear Max working out, but it was only after the reached almost the end of his book that he dared to look up. And maybe it was a mistake because seeing Max all hot flexing his biceps made him feel something at the bottom of his stomach, a funny feeling that only meant troubles.

He must have been staring because Max turned around to look at him with an eyebrow raised: “Is there something wrong?”, “No- I- no I was just thinking that maybe I have to work out too. You know, to not get out of shape” Alex explained nervously. Max was still looking at him perplexed when Alex jumped up and pretty much bolted to the kitchen muttering something about tea.

Alex put the kettle on the stove and took a deep breath. God he hoped that before he wasn’t blushing like a schoolgirl, it would have been embarrassing. Since when he got so heated watching Max workout? It’s not the first time that he had seen the other boy all sweaty, so what changed? Blushing around Max was simply embarrassing.

C’mon it was Max, his teammate. 

_ Yeah: Max, his teammate he was sharing the bed with. _

Alex groaned out of frustration.

Alex had made peace with the fact he liked boys a long time ago so it wasn’t the case of “gay awakening” or something like that. But he never had a crush on one of his teammates and he was quickly realizing that this “holiday” might actually change the situation. Max had always been pretty hot, it wasn’t big news, but this wasn’t like checking him out before the races and then carrying on with his weekend; now he had to deal with him every day (and night) for an unknown number of days. 

He seriously needed to get a fucking grip if he wanted to survive all of this.

Alex’s plan to act normal around Max was get on pretty well in his opinion: he spoke a little as possible and when he wasn’t cooking he was reading. And most importantly he was managing to avoid him, even if they were in the same house.

To distract himself during the afternoon, the Brit decided to bake a chocolate cake. Luckily enough he had all the ingredients so he set himself to work. Cooking had always been a way to relax so it helped him to rationalize the whole situation both with Max and with this mysterious threat. 

Just after he put the cake cooking into the oven, he heard a loud thud from the living room. “Max what are you doing?” inquired Alex from the kitchen. “I’m exploring” replied a muffled voice, “AH! Alex look what I found!” exclaimed the Dutch, sounding like Christmas had come early. 

Alex slowly made his way out of the kitchen and found the boy sitting in front of a small cabinet, holding a PlayStation. “It’s a PlayStation! Look they also have FIFA 14! I mean it’s a bit old but I guess is better than nothing” explained Max sounding absolutely joyous. “Indeed it is. Then you know what to do during the day” chucked Alex. “If you want, we can play together. But just so you know: I’m the best at this game and you’ll be totally destroyed”, “I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself Verstappen” replied the Brit with a challenging smirk.

Max started to set up the PlayStation and Alex went to check the cake. He didn’t hear Max following him and almost jumped when he heard his voice. “What did you bake?”, “Nothing special, just a chocolate cake”, “Sounds amazing! I’m actually craving some chocolate right now” added the Dutch grinning.

Alex beamed back, his mind focused only on how cute Max looked when he was smiling like that. 

The rest of the evening was uneventful and since Max was feeling guilty because Alex was doing all the housework he decided to cook dinner. 

“So how is it?” asked the Dutchman, after they both sat down to eat. “I’m actually surprised. I was expecting some kind of sandwiches on a plate” chuckled Alex, “Ok this is actually disrespectful. Don’t you know that I live on my own? Who do you think prepares the food?” replied Max pretending to be offended but with clear amusement in his eyes. “Yeah I know you live alone. That’s why I’m amazed you’re still alive!” said Alex giggling, “Oh c'mon that’s just rude!” replied Max nudging Alex’s leg playfully.

Alex couldn't really remember how Max and him ended up on the sofa watching an action movie, only 50 cm separating them, but he was enjoying the proximity with the other boy very much. He didn’t like the choice of the movie but Max seemed to be so interested in it that he decided to give in. After the first 20 minutes of the film Alex started feeling drowsy and tried to get more comfortable stretching a bit his legs and arms without disturbing Max. 

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he sensed was Max nudging his shoulder, the end credits scrolling down the tv screen behind him. “C'mon let’s go to bed, you seem really tired” hushed the young boy. “Yeah sorry I fell asleep. Where is this blanket from?” mumbled Alex groggy. “I put it on you, I didn't want you to get cold” muttered Max blushing. 

They entered the bedroom and the Brit immediately lied down on the bed yawning. “Alex, you can’t go to sleep like that. Put on your pajamas please” said Max that in the meantime got dressed for bed. Alex decided to ignore him, hoping he would give up and let him sleep; forgetting that the verb “to give up” didn't exist in Max’s vocabulary. 

The Brit heard some shuffling and then felt a pair of hands touching his waist. Alex’s eyes snapped open, meeting a very much determined Dutch above him. “I won’t let you sleep in your jeans. C’mon, be cooperative. You’ll thank me in the morning” advised the blonde. Alex sent him a dirty look but did what he was told and got changed. “It wasn’t difficult right?” teased his teammate. Alex mumbled something that resembled an agreement but that could have easily been some kind of curse word. 

“It’s cold” whined Alex just after he got under the covers, “No shit Sherlock, it’s december” chuckled Max in response. The Brit slowly started to slide towards the other boy, seeking some warmth. “I know what you are doing” hushed the boy, eyes twinkling in the dim light. Alex froze but then Max started to come close as well, at the point their sides were touching. “Do you feel warmer now?”, “Yeah” replied the Brit sounding choked.

This time Alex fell asleep without problems, while Max couldn't stop thinking.

The past days had been stressful and Max was really anxious about the whole situation, even if he would never admit it. Being scared was for kids and for losers, at least in his father’s opinion, and Max knew he was neither of them. He frequently thought about his mother and his sister: if they were scared or if they were thinking about him too. He felt guilty because he knew that the whole situation was his fault, he was the one who was threatened while his family had nothing to do with it. The thought of his mom and sister, the only two people that had always been there for him without screaming at him when he made mistakes, being harmed because of him never failed to make him furious. God he wanted to kill all the guys in the criminal organization so bad.

And then there was Alex, who had been nothing but sweet and understanding since the beginning of this “holiday”. Max on the contrary had been always aggressive and grumpy and knowing that his teammate didn’t deserve any of it was making him feel really guilty.

He couldn't stop thinking about the Brit: the way he smiled, the way he spoke calmly about everything, his contagious laugh, the way his eyes gleamed before he saying a bad joke. Not to mention how cute Alex looked asleep on the sofa: Max had put a blanket on him so he wouldn’t be cold but deep down he knew that in reality the only way he wanted to keep his teammate warm was by spooning him.

Moreover the fact that Alex was always gentle and cared about Max wellbeing even if he was scared too, spoke volumes on how he was as a person and Max knew that he had to be really careful if he didn’t want to catch feelings for him: having a crush for another driver was dangerous business and Max couldn't afford any of it if he wanted to survive in the world of Formula One.

Max sighed and squeezed his eyes. He turned on his side and glanced at the Brit who was snoring gently. Max gathered all his courage and put an arm around his teammate, spooning him. 

Alex didn’t wake up. And finally Max fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has wayyy to much fluff but I'll be back on the angst soon don't worry ;)


	3. Day 3

The next morning Alex woke up feeling warm, with something heavy pressed on his chest. He opened his eyes, finding Max’s arm around his torso. If that wasn’t enough Alex had somehow intertwined his legs with Max’s, resulting in an uncomfortable position. He was actually surprised his teammate hadn’t woken up but he was also glad so he could head out from that embarrassing situation without giving any explanation.

The Brit made his way upstairs and started making his morning coffee, remembering to prepare one also for Max. Even when he was busy, Alex couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing it felt to wake up cuddled with Max, all the previous day’s thoughts about getting a grip forgotten. He felt himself blushing and he mentally slapped himself for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.

“Morning” murmured Max, entering the kitchen, “Morning, I made you a cup of coffee if you want it” replied Alex standing next to the counter. “Yeah thanks, I’m still half asleep” yawned Max, with his messy blonde hair all over the place.

Just before they were starting their daily routine, Christian called to update them on the news. 

Max put him on the speaker and hurried him to speak. “I have good and bad news: the good one is that we’re working closely with the police and the other teams to identify this organization; the bad one is that it might take a while longer than what we expected” said their boss. “They sent other letters?” asked Alex, “Yes a few more, they were mostly talking about the team but there were some also talking about you. You just need to keep a low profile until we catch them and everything will be alright” replied Christian with a reassuring tone.

“How long will it take to catch them?” inquired Max. “We are positive but we might need at least three days more than what I planned. Also about this I must tell you that the weatherman forecasts a snow storm in the next few days so it will be difficult to drive around, I suggest you go grocery shopping so you don’t risk to be unprepared” explained their team principal.

“That’s great! I love being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a snow storm!” added sarcastically Max, “I know the situation isn’t ideal Max but I trust you to act like adults and to do what is best for the team and for yourself”. “We will, please keep us updated” interrupted Alex before Max could starts one of his rants about how stupid their sitaution was. “I will, please guys take care” said Christian before ending the call.

There was a moment of silence after Christian had hung up and Alex looked at Max, who was staring at the wall in front of him with his jaw set and a murderous look in his eyes. The Brit knew better and decided that he didn’t want to get murdered by Max that day.

“Well then I’ll go grocery shopping, I saw one supermarket near the highway. See you later, bye!” exclaimed Alex and before Max could even reply he took the car keys and got out of the room at light’s speed. 

The ordinarity of being in the supermarket, with artificial white lights and aisles that look all the same, made Alex feel normal again. It was comforting being in a place that was a part of his everyday life: if he concentrated hard enough, he could almost imagine that he had gone shopping for his family’s dinner and that his cats waited for him at home.

Of course it wasn’t the case and Alex took his time to shop, thinking that the more time he stayed away from angry-Max, the better. 

He had brought food for at least another four days, wondering how much time he would have to be stuck with Max. 

Not that Max was someone unpleasant to spend time with of course, but sometimes the whole situation with him would be a little bit... too much. And Alex didn’t know how to handle it. 

When the Brit got out the supermarket was already noon and the sky above him was grey, the possibility of snow just around the corner. He drove home lost in thought and he barely had the time to park the car that some snowflakes started to fall on the car’s windscreen.

“I’m back!” exclaimed Alex entering in the house. He went into the kitchen to put down the grocery bags and found Max, still seated on the same chair he was in the morning, sulking.

“Have you been like this since I left? Two hours ago?” asked Alex, eyeing his teammate while he was tidying up. Max didn’t even bother to reply and simply let out a grunt.

Alex decided for once to be sensible and that the best thing to do was to let him be: he was sure that sooner or later Max would stop being an asshole and realize he was being childish. Well, actually Alex wasn’t sure, he hoped that Max would come to his senses, because if not the next days were guaranteed to be awful.

The rest of the day was uneventful: Alex read another book while Max played FIFA and glared at the walls pouting, like they had somehow anything to do with the stupid sitation they were in.

The snow outside their porch was piling up pretty quickly and Alex was sure that it would only get worse during the night.

That evening, unlike the past days, there wasn’t any playful banter between them and they ignored each other, pretending to be focused on their current tasks while subtly checking the other out.

They went to sleep early and they obstinately laid on their side of the bed, almost 50 centimetres separating them that felt like kilometres.

That night Alex and Max laid awake for a long time, both lost in thought and too stubborn to make any type of conversation.

It was long past midnight when tiredness finally came, throwing them in a restless and anxious sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short and hasn't so much plot. It almost looks like a "filler chapter" but trust me it isn't haha. University has been keeping me busy these days, I hope that I'll have more time to write and I apologise in advance if it will take me a lot to update.  
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter <3


	4. Day 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Making Max suffer in my fics? It's most likely than you think!  
Kidding, enjoy this new chapter ;)

Alex woke up the next morning feeling cold and tired, like he hadn't slept at all and it was actually true since he had nightmares for the whole night who made him unable to rest properly.

There was a strange atmosphere in the house, all sounds seemed muffled and an odd light filtered behind the curtains.

Alex looked outside the window and found out that the trees around the cottage and the grass were covered with a thick layer of snow. He guessed it must have been at least 20 cm and, as Christian said, that it would have been difficult to drive around.

He went downstairs and caught Max staring at the snow out the kitchen’s window, pensieve. The Brit was still pissed at Max and decided to ignore him while he was having breakfast. At one point his teammate turned around and seeing his surprised face, he mustn’t even have realized that Alex was there. His face went from confused to stiff and serious in a matter of seconds and simply acknowledged Alex with a curt nod, who in response glared at him over his cup of tea.

At that point they both had a stabilized routine to keep themselves busy and most importantly to ignore each other during the day. Max played FIFA and worked out with his weights a little bit while Alex sat on his now favourite armchair and read a novel.

But the thing about being in an indoor space with someone who you might have feelings for, and trying to ignore him, is that it can only work for a little while. Only 24 hours to be precise.

In fact it was only 4 in the afternoon, just before the sun was starting to set and while it started to snow again, that Max snapped. “I hate this!” screamed Max, tossing the Playstation’s controller on the sofa. “Are you always like this when you lose a match?” asked Alex disinterestedly, not even bothering to look up from his book. “It’s not about the match! And ** _you_ **-” said Max, pointing his finger towards Alex who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised, “you--. It’s about--. You will never understand! Nobody can!” finished Max sounding distressed.

Alex ignored his tantrums, in the background he could hear the other boy shuffling and moving around the house but for once he decided to do not care and kept reading his novel. After 10 minutes or so, he walked angrily to the entrance door, opened it and then closed it angrily after himself.

Alex stayed still for a second:_ was Max gone outside? _With all that snow? ** _ Had Max gone completely mental? _ ** _ Probably. _

Still, Alex had to help him go back inside, he didn’t want to deal with sick-Max on top of all the drama that was happening in his life. He quickly got up, put on his shoes and a coat on and went outside.

The Dutchman didn’t go far, Alex went towards him and found him sitting in what that appeared at least 50 cm of snow. “Max have you gone mental? You’ll catch a fever if you stay out like this, you didn’t even put a coat on!” said Alex stern. The other boy, who had his back turned, didn’t seem to even hear him. The Brit went around him so he could actually see Max’s face, only to find him teary-eyed and looking absolutely heartbroken. Alex offered him a hand to get up, which Max accepted avoiding to look him in the eyes. But the Brit knew better than that, he put a hand on Max’s face to make him look up and said: “Do you want to tell me why you’re this upset?”. 

The other boy looked at him for a few seconds before he burst out crying and threw himself into Alex’s arms, who although shocked hugged him back. They stayed like this for a few minutes before Alex suggested to go back inside. Max followed him, still crying softly.

When they finally got inside, the Brit told him to get a warm bath and get changed so he wouldn't get sick. Max stared back at him with an empty gaze so the older boy decided to take the matter into his own hands: he guided him into the bathroom and started to fill the bathtub with hot water, then went to their room and picked up some warm clothes to put on after the bath and put them in the clothes hanger. “Take your time, I’ll make some tea downstairs okay? When you’re ready you can join me, if you want to” explained Alex before leaving.

  
  


Max came downstairs after more or less 20 minutes and looked a lot better, his cheeks were still a little red from the cold outside but apart from that he looked pretty normal. Alex was standing next to the window and looking at the snow falling outside. 

The Dutchman went next to him and hesitantly put an arm around his waist and murmured in his ear: “I’m really sorry”. Alex turned around and asked: “Do you want to tell me what happened?”, “I don’t really want to talk about it”. “Please, you really made me extremely worried before” pleaded the Brit. “I’ll tell you Alex, I promise. But now I jus--just need some time to think about nothing. Please?” asked Max, almost whispering and again on the verge of tears.

Alex sighed but then opened his arms to hug the blond boy. Max put his head on Alex’s chest and started sobbing quietly, while Alex tightened the embrace and started to gently stroke his hair to soothe him.

Max went to bed early, eating something so his teammate wouldn’t worry even more and Alex followed him after an hour or so, since after the chaotic events happened that afternoon left him drained. He went under the covers and turned around to face Max, all the thoughts about personal space forgotten. He didn’t know how they had become so touchy with each other but if Max felt comfortable enough with him to not mind being this close, Alex wouldn't be the one to complain.

“I know you are awake” murmured Alex while he got closer to Max. The dim light of the bedside lamp made him look a lot younger than he really was and his sad expression only made Alex wanting to hug him and never let him go. 

Which wasn’t bad, _ per se _ , but Alex couldn't help his friend to feel better if he continued to daydream about kissing him. _ Hence _, he really needed to get a grip and stop projecting his unrealistic romantic scenarios he made up in his head on his teammate (scenarios that also came up thanks to the unhealthy amount of romantic novels he was reading during their “holiday”).

“I suppose you want an explanation for what happened today” said Max, “It would be nice, as I said before you made me really worried and you know… I want to help you” replied Alex. He could see that his friend was debating if he should get angry because Alex offered to help him or actually accepting his offer.

They stood silent for a few moments, then Max spoke: “This is my fault… this whole situation I mean. And no, don’t even try to convince me it isn’t because if it wasn’t for me, my mom and my sister wouldn't be in danger right now. Also I’m not, like, the best driver in the world so I literally don’t understand why they would target someone like me; and I keep thinking that if at least I was a world champion--”. 

While he spoke the last few words his voice started to tremble a bit, suggesting that he was about to cry again, so Alex decided to put an arm around him hoping to comfort him. Max clinged to him and rested his head on his shoulder, before saying: “And you know, I’ve been so mean with you and you don’t deserve it because you’re so kind to me-”. 

“Max stop please. Don’t feel guilty about this ok? Look you’ve been an asshole for, like, at least 1/3 of this trip, but I’ve known you for years and I know you aren’t a mean person. Everyone reacts to stressful situations differently and I’ve already understood that you react to situation that you can’t control by getting angry” interrupted Alex.

They stayed silent for a few moments while Alex stroked Max’s back in a slow motion to calm him down a bit. Then the Brit decided that his friend was calm enough to listen to his thoughts about the whole situation and spoke: “Max, I know you’re scared but this is NOT your fault. I can’t stress this enough: everything that happened to us is not your fault. I mean of course if we weren’t Formula 1 drivers probably we wouldn't get threatened by this criminal organization but you didn’t cause this whole situation. And about the world champion thing, just stop thinking like that: if you were a WDC I can assure you this situation wouldn't be more bearable. I know why you’re thinking that but trust me, it wouldn't”.

“Okay” simply murmured Max with a small voice, while cuddling closer.

“Now try to sleep ok? And stop being insecure, you’re one of the best drivers on the grid” suggested Alex, leaning down to kiss Max’s forehead.

Being cuddled together and feeling their hearts lighter after their talk, they finally felt at peace. And just like that, in each other’s arms, they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long but university stuff and writer block were tough stuff haha  
This probably one of the last chapters, I just need to decide if the next one will be the epilogue or a normal chapter and then add a small epilogue.  
Anyway, since today is the 30th of December, I wish all of you happy new year! I hope 2020 will be a happy and satisfying year for all of you :)


	5. Day 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to wake up cuddled with Max or Alex raise your hand ;)  
Also Max being insecure in this chapter is such a mood...
> 
> Enjoy! <3

The next morning Alex and Max were in the same position as the previous night: Max was laying on Alex’s chest while Alex had his right arm around him, keeping him close. When Max woke up, his teammate was still asleep, so he decided to enjoy the moment as much as he could and just lay there like that. 

Being cuddled with Alex was a bit weird but none the less enjoyable. He was warm and his touch was so calming that Max really felt safe with him. The older boy was beautiful when he was asleep: his hair were all around the pillow and he was snoring softly, his lips slightly parted. That only launched Max in long train of thought about how nice it would be to kiss him, especially kissing Alex wearing that suit that had at the FIA Gala. It didn’t matter if it had been one month since the Gala, Max was still thinking about how good he looked it that damned suit. And maybe he had daydreamed a couple of times about how nice it would have been to kiss him in a dark hallway of the FIA palace or slowly undress him in his hotel room in Paris…

He tried to steer his thoughts on something else though, since it wasn’t exactly the best thing to think about while he was in the same bed as Alex. 

  
  


“Good morning” murmured Alex after a while, voice hoarse since he had just woken up. Max feared that the other boy would freak out and push him away, especially knowing that he was already awake and he didn’t move, but on the contrary the Brit said: “Here under the covers is so cozy, it's a pity to get up. Why don’t we stay like this for a little while?”

Max was shocked by the question and when he turned around to look at him, he found his teammate smiling at him with a fond look in his eyes.

Max’s heart started to speed up at the sight so he decided to channel all his concentration in keeping a normal behaviour and not just jump on Alex to make out with him.

“So… about last night…” said Alex, interrupting Max’s thoughts about how soft Alex’s lips looked, “Mmh- yeah” managed to reply the Dutch. “Do you feel a little bit better now?” asked the Brit, stroking Max’s back with his hand absent-mindedly. “Yeah I do feel better now. Thanks for taking care of me last night, it really means a lot” said Max with a small smile, enjoying Alex’s hand on his back.

Silence stretched between them, both comfortable in each other's arms, before Max spoke: “I must thank you for what you did this week. You’re a really good friend, I don’t deserve your kindness after how I behaved in the last few days”; Alex chuckled “Please stop saying this, I’d have done the same for me. Also you helped me plenty of times: do you remember that time we needed to meet the Honda CEO and I was so nervous that he wouldn't like me? And you helped me to calm down?”

“Of course I remember… but- I don’t know. It’s just… you’re so kind and you’re always smiling and I mean you’re also really pretty-”. Just after Max realized what he had said, he went stiff for a few seconds before getting up and stuttering: “You know what? I’m actually hungry. We should go downstairs and eat something”.

Alex, meanwhile, was still on the bed and with a puzzled expression, he asked: “Did you just call me pretty?”, “What? No, of course I didn’t say you’re pretty. C’mon let’s go eat, the lack of sugar in your blood is making you hear things” replied the Dutch blushing.

Alex decided to not push it and went to the kitchen to get breakfast. They had just finished eating, when the Brit started to focus his gaze on Max, who was pretending to be really interested in his coffee. He got up and went to the window to look at the snow outside and then spoke: “I can’t believe you called me pretty”. “I didn’t!” protested Max, getting up from his chair and joining him next to the window. 

“It’s a pity, really… because I find you really pretty too”; “I didn’t call you-- wait what?!” said the blond, taken aback from his teammate words.

“You heard me” smirked Alex, finding Max’s reaction hilarious. 

“You think I’m pretty? For real?”; “Of course for real Max, why wouldn’t I?” chuckeld Alex.

Max’s brain was racing, trying to process what he had just heard. 

“So… you mean that you like me? Because I’m not that beautiful and I’m probably the least interesting person in the world-” muttered Max blushing. “God, the only thing you are is the most insecure person in the world, I can’t believe you think you’re not attractive… of course I like you!” interrupted Alex.

“But _like,** like?**_ You aren’t just being nice?”; “Max, shut up and come here” muttered the Brit, opening his arms. He hugged the younger boy and murmured in his ear: “I like you. And I promise I’m not just being nice”. Max started giggling: “I can’t believe it, I’ve had a crush on you since, like, may or something… and now I discover you like me back…”.

“You know, this holiday, as much it sucked it helped me realize that I had feelings for you and that they went beyond checking out your ass before you went in the car--” said Alex smiling. “Wait, you were checking me out before the races? Pervert!” exclaimed Max trying to be serious, before bursting into laughter.

They laughed for a few moments, before meeting each other’s gaze and returning serious again. “What are we gonna do now?”, asked shyly the blond, “I’ve never been in a situation like this…”.

“Do you want to go on a date with me? And just see how things go from there, what do you think?” said Alex, taking Max’s hand into his. “Sounds like a good plan. I can’t wait for this situation to be over so you can finally take me on a date” smiled Max.

“Also, there’s a thing I really wanted to do for a while but I don’t know if you are up for it…”, “It depends on what I guess” replied the Brit quite perplexed.

Max went a bit closer and grinned: “Can I kiss you?”. “God, I thought you’d never ask” murmured Alex before leaning down to kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter but don't worry I have a short epilogue planned to wrap up the story, stay tuned!  
I hope I can publish it before January ends but it depends because first I have to pass a math exam at uni (and I'm not that good at math haha).
> 
> PS. I hope y'all got the Ally Hill's reference in "maybe he's just being nice" because that song is a bop and I'll never stop singing it


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here there's a small epilogue, it's shameless domestic fluff but since I don't really like pure fluff I mixed it with some humor (I thinks this actually falls into the "attempted humor" category, I'm not that funny).  
Also, take a shot everytime Max says "babe"

** _ One year after _ **

“I don’t know why but I remembered it bigger” said Alex getting out of the car, staring at the cottage in front of them. “You said the same the first time we arrived here” added Max, taking their bags from the car’s booth. “Oh well, at least it’s not the first time I’m disappointed then” replied the Brit while Max rolled his eyes and said: “If I buy you the biggest cottage in England, will you stop whining? Now, can we go inside? It’s freezing!”. Alex just smirked and followed him into the house.

A few minutes later the two boys were laying on the bed, cuddling. “I’m so happy we’re here today. We really needed this holiday” said Max, “Yeah this holiday is a blessing, I’m glad that we could rent the house for this week. And also I get to spend this holiday with the most handsome, intelligent and amazing boyfriend in the world, which is a big bonus” murmured Alex, turning around to kiss him. 

“Babe you’re turning sappy again”; “Shut up Max, you love it!” giggled the Brit, while the blond who was trying to escape from his exuberant hug failed miserably.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit hot in there?” asked Alex, after they both stopped laughing and were laying on the bed again. “No? Besides, aren’t you always cold?” replied Max puzzled. “Honey, I was trying to hint that maybe we should continue this conversation with less clothes” giggled Alex. “_Oh… _ Oh! I’m sorry babe. Let’s start again: yes it’s pretty hot, actually now I’m gonna take off my shirt”; “You’re so silly I can’t believe I’m in love with you” chuckled the Brit before kissing his boyfriend.

Later in the afternoon they decided to chill after the long drive and just play FIFA a little bit. Max offered to prepare dinner and Alex let him; since he had taught him to cook basic stuff the Dutchman had become significantly better and was now able to cook some dinner without burning the house down. Max had also learn to cook some traditional thai dishes that would prepare if he knew his boyfriend was sad so he could cheer him up. Saying that the first time Max cooked for him some thai dishes had made the Brit emotional was an understatement (he literally started crying) but now he was more or less used to it and enjoyed all the little sweet things he did for him.

They ate dinner chatting about this and that, making the most of the moments in which they weren’t busy working on the sim or giving interviews.

  
  


After tying up the kitchen Alex stood up, walked to the window and looked outside: “It’s a pity it doesn’t snow this time though”. “I thought you didn’t like the snow” observed the blond, joining him. “Well, I don’t like the snow _ but _I do think it’s a lot more romantic to kiss in the snow”; “Babe, next time I’m taking you skiing with me so we can kiss in the snow, yeah?” giggled Max. 

“Oh, seems like someone is making fun of me for being romantic” murmured Alex, hugging his boyfriend. “Me? Never! Now give me a kiss” replied Max trying to hold back his laughter. Obviously the Brit was trying to seem pissed, even though he wasn’t exactly the most threatening person in the world, and refused to give it. This only made Max more determined as he decided to stand on his tiptoes to kiss him. Alex thought that his boyfriend’s behaviour was the cutest thing in the world and surrendered; _ not that he could stay angry at Max anyway. _

“Can you believe that one year ago we kissed for the first time in this exact spot?” asked Alex. “We have come a long way” said Max, taking his hand and smiling fondly at him.

“Can I ask you a question?” said Max, suddenly nervous. Alex nodded and squeezed his hand in encouragement. “I know it’s early to ask you something like this since we have been together for less than a year but I’ve been thinking about this for a while now--” Max took a deep breath and asked: “Will you come live with me?”. Seeing Alex’s surprised face, he added: “Not all the time though, maybe just during the races in Europe since Monaco is close to a lot of tracks. And then we’ll see from there what to do. Also it’s okay if you don’t want to…”

Alex interrupted him: “Of course I want to! I can’t wait to spend more time with you and this is such a wonderful surprise”.

“He said yes, ladies and gentlemen!” exclaimed blond to an imaginary audience. 

The older boy giggled: “You’re such an idiot sometimes”; “I’m an idiot all the time but you like me anyway”.

Alex smiled and came closer: “I love you so much Max”. “I love you too babe” murmured Max before kissing him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end folks!  
It was such a new, fun (yet demanding) experience to write a long, chaptered fic. For sure I've learned a lot from this and the story took a different route from what I've imagined at first (maybe I should finish the entire story before posting it eheh) but I'm quite happy how it turned out, especially since this is the longest piece I've ever written and university has been tough stuff (who would have thought? not me!).
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left a comment and/or kudos, I'm sending a big hug to all of you. Your kindness really means a lot to me <3  
Also thanks to everyone who took the time to read this, I hope you liked it :)
> 
> If you want to see what I'm up to, here's my [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mclarenrenaissance)


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